☾ ⃰ Left For Forever | Tarah DeWitt ☾ ⃰
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ④.⑦⑤ /𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜

ALC - Audiobook

Thank you partner MacMillian Audio and #Netgallery for the Advanced Listener Copy!

💭 𝚖𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:

I finished this book over a week ago and I still think about it. This was my first read by Tarah DeWitt and she will be an Auto Buy for me going forward.

A small town of Spunes, second chance romance build around a couple, now divorced for 5 years bound together by their college bound son. Avoiding each other for years but realize both desperately want the same thing. Each Other.

I know Wren was in love with Ellis but I fell in love with him too. Ellis was charming, funny and visually handsome! Making sure he took his time to make this time right was everything!
I loved everything about Ellis.

I loved Wren!! She had a lot of things going for herself. As us all had issues in her dating era but a great mom above it all. Her true colors came out when she was around Ellis lol their chemistry was addictively seductive at the right time and the right place…look I’m very satisfied lol

The narrators, Connor Crais & Megan Wicks did an excellent job! They really brought this love story to life! They delivered phenomenally!
A heart wrenching, realistic friends to lovers, lovers to falling apart, back to intensively getting their groove back years later! This book had me BREATHLESS!

⁕ PUB DATE: May 19, 2025
Left For Forever is brought to you by Tarah DeWitt MacMillian Audio and St. Martin’s Press!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for advance copies of the audiobook and the ebook to follow along. Connor Crais and Megan Wicks were lovely choices for the narrators on this one. They brought so much to the story.

These two never treated each other with anything other than tenderness and respect even in the divorced years which was really lovely of them. This was a nice second chance romance where the wrongs that they did way back when were understandable and grown. I appreciated that none of their issues were petty. These were full blown adults dealing with life and some parts of that are horrible. I also appreciated that when he decided to make a plan, it didn’t come together sloppily overnight. He worked for months to get this right.

This was my first Tarah DeWitt novel, and it certainly won't be my last. I was instantly drawn in—not just by her stunning storytelling but also by the powerhouse narration that brought her words to life. Let’s be honest, Connor Crais could read my tax return to me, and I’d still be captivated.

This story was heartbreakingly beautiful, weaving together love, loss, and the healing power of time in a way that left me breathless. It’s the kind of book that grips you by the soul, breaks you down, then gently pieces you back together—all while giving you hope. Hope for love, for friendship, and for the understanding that even when life feels impossibly messy, things have a way of working themselves out.

Tarah DeWitt’s prose is pure poetry. Her words flow with a rhythm so stunning that you want to reread passages just to soak in their beauty. And trust me—I will be buying a physical copy so I can annotate the ever-loving crap out of it.

Then there are the characters. Elias Bird is the definition of imperfectly perfect—layered, raw, and deeply human. And Wren? She is so fiercely relatable as a woman, a friend, and a wife that it’s almost unnerving. Their journey is heartbreakingly authentic, striking that rare balance between honesty and emotional depth that makes every single page feel like a revelation.

Simply put, Tarah DeWitt knocked it out of the park. This is, without question, the best second-chance romance I have ever read—unapologetically real, deeply moving, and utterly unforgettable.

OMG THE YEARNING!! (Thank you to SMP Romance & Macmillan Audio for the ARC/ALC.)

This is one of the best second chance romances that I’ve ever read. DeWitt masterfully balances the love these two characters have for each other with the ways that they hurt each other to create a love story I could not put down.

I love a down bad man, and Ellis is the down bad-est of them all. He’s gone to therapy, he’s done the work, and he’s ready to win back his (ex) wife’s heart.

🎧 This was absolutely incredible on audio. Each narrator (Connor Crais & Megan Wicks) was so well cast, and they gave such an emotional performance.

Tarah DeWitt does it again! I have read several books of hers now, and I have yet to be disappointed.

While Left of Forever can technically be read as a standalone, I would HIGHLY recommend reading Savor It first. In that book, you really are introduced to the beautiful town of Spunes and all it's lovely residents, and more specifically, Wren, Ellis, and the entire Byrd family. I am not always a fan of the second-chance trope, but after reading Savor It, I was already rooting for these two, and they were just background characters at that point. I think this book perfectly explores how sometimes, two people really can take the space they need to grow, reflect, and re-discover themselves individually to come back together stronger than ever.

At the risk of literally copying and pasting their entire timeline to sing my praises, I will just say that Tarah DeWitt has made a fan out of me with her wonderful writing, beautiful scene-building, and loveable as hell characters. I cannot recommend this book enough.

TYSM St. Martins and Macmillan Audio for this diamond of a book. I freaking loved it. Infinity stars.

TL;DR:

Left of Forever is a dual POV, character-driven second chance romance that will make you laugh until you cry and then sob because you feel so many feelings. It’s one of the sweetest stories I’ve ever read, but it’s not at all cheesy. The characters are strong and vulnerable and I dare you not to fall in love with them. The pacing is spot on, the dialogue is exquisite, and the spice is perfectly placed to complement up the emotional tension.

While I have your attention, let me add that all of Tarah’s books are great so please read Savor It, The Co-op, Funny Feelings, and Rootbound too.

Full review:

I remember exactly where I was when I first heard Ellis Byrd gruff, “She’s still a Byrd” — and I’ve been waiting on this book ever since.

Friends, it delivered. Left of Forever is a stunning love story from beginning to end. It’s packed with pining and angst, but balanced with just the right amount of sweetness to keep it from veering into heartbreak territory.

Second chance romances are tough — the couple has to break up for a real reason, but their reunion also needs to feel earned. Tarah threads that needle perfectly with Wren and Ellis, both in the story and the way it unfolds. The pacing is spot on and I guarantee you won’t be able to put it down.

As with all of Tarah’s characters, Wren and Ellis are strong, funny, and full of heart — but they’re also willing to be vulnerable and fight for what they want. Ellis is the ultimate book husband. He worships Wren and it . Wren might be the strongest heroine I’ve ever read. She’s been through so much and still dares to hope. It’s beautiful.

The roadtrip setting is really fun. Wren and Ellis get up to a lot of hijinks along the way, with a few especially hilarious scenes that were reminiscent of Abby Jimenez type malarky. I laughed so hard at the cooking class scene and the ~situation~ it causes (IYKYK). Oh and the cable car scene SENT me.

After the roadtrip, we’re treated to a few scenes back in Spunes. Seeing the Byrds together with their pranks and jokes, their deep love for one another, the family they’ve built together — it’s heartwarming and just what this Fisher/Sage stan needed to read.

OH! I almost forgot to mention, there’s a little tiny You’ve Got Mail element that culminates in someone saying “I wanted it to be you.” SWOON

Audio
The audiobook is INCREDIBLE. The narrators have these gravelly voices that are hot rather than annoying. In the story, Ellis talks about altering Wren’s DNA, and yeah, I think that’s what this audiobook did to me. It’s the peak of perfection and I don’t know how anything else will ever compare… until Spunes book 3!

I enjoyed this so much! The narrators were amazing
I loved the second chance theme and how mature they handled their situation
The spice was perfect imo. Not too much but just right 🙌🏻
I loved the ending and hope there will be a 3rd book in this series since I miss the characters already 🥹
I loved the ending and look forward to reading more by this author!
Huge thanks to the author and netgalley for this arc!

There is something about a second chance that I just eat up every single time. The level of mature, honest communication between these two MCs is breathtaking and refreshing. The audio is done spectacularly in a duet format. I laugh-cried, grinned like a kid and also teared up at the end. Idk what else to tell you guys, except TARAH KNOCKED IT OUTTA THE PARK with this one.

Another beautiful story set against the backdrop of Spunes, Oregon. The first visit there brought the story of Sage and Fischer, both of who show up again in this one, but it also introduced us to Wren and Ellis, divorced but clearly still pining for each other.

Left of Forever explores the connection that still exists between Wren and Ellis as they go on a trip together after dropping their son off at school. The two of them work to open themselves up and share feelings and resentments that they harbored from their marriage in the hopes of arriving back home with an answer to the question of whether they will spend what's left of forever together.

I have to say that my favorite part of the book was realizing what the title was actually referring to! Looking forward to book three - will Kirby really show up as was foreshadowed?

Audio ARC 🎧
Went in blind without any expectations and Ate this up!! I haven’t read anything by Tara Dewitt and now I want to read everything!

Small town , 2nd chance romance , 1st responders.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ duel narrated, adds to the story and characters 🥵
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ 🌶️

Vibes : 🥰🙌🥺💕🥲💕💕💕

I did not have falling in love with a man with a mustache in my bingo card for this year!! This is how you do a second chance romance right! Admittedly, second chance is probably my least favorite genre because it have a hard time getting over the reason they were not together in the first place. I loved reading about two very emotionally available people rekindling their relationship! Neither of them ever truly moved on but they did find their happiness again. This is the type of romance book that gets me giddy and has me grinning ear to ear! Their love for their son was so heartwarming!
My only complaint is how easily that both agreed to this trip and feel back into it. That one part really didn’t seem realistic since they spent 5 years avoiding the other and rarely talking.

“Left of Forever “
by Tarah DeWitt

4⭐️
2🌶️
🎧ALC/Audiobook
🎤Duet narration:
Conor Crais
Megan Wicks

This was a beautifully written emotionally charged, soul mates, second -chance romance 💕
And the narrators of this book did beautiful job , I did get a little teary eyed 🥹 during certain moments.
The story follows Wren & Ellis who are high school sweethearts , they get married young , have a child young , life happens, they soon drift apart and end up divorced.
Their now grown Son is off to college, they decide to take a trip to drop him off. And then take a road trip back together to reconnect and to see if the spark is still there!
And omg yes 🙌🏻 the spark is there! The sexual tension and yearning between these two was so strong! And I rooted for them to get back together and finally come to realize that they belong together!

I did enjoy most aspects of this story, but I didn’t feel a connection with the situation the characters were in. But it did reminded me of my own Mother who missed out on certain parts of life because of marriage and children. So in some aspect I could relate but not through me personally. 🩷


Otherwise this was a beautiful and emotional 🥹 love story , and I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook!
I would highly recommend if you’re a fan of second chance romance and high tension/ angst.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an (ALC) of this audiobook.

• when their son announces he wants to move away for college a couple months ahead of schedule, exes & co-parents wren & ellis decide to take a road trip back home together to give their relationship one last chance. against the stunning california coastline, the forced proximity of the trip makes them think rekindling their relationship might be possible. but can their desire for each other outweigh all the reasons they broke up in the first place?
• much like ‘savor it,’ this book was so good, and i could argue it was even better than the other book in this universe. the forced proximity trope blended with the small-town romance vibe was really well done.
• also the spice??? excellent. this one is definitely not one to miss!

Left of Forever is the 2nd book by Tarah DeWitt in her Spunes, OR series. The series involves a family of four siblings. Each of them is hilarious with plenty of laugh-out-loud comments & they're each going through life on their own paths.
Ellis, the oldest Bryd sibling & his ex-wife Wren were married after becoming parents at a young age. As they raised their son, their relationship began to fall apart & they divorced. Five years after their divorce, they realize they're both missing something in their lives & a road trip after dropping their son off at college brings them back into proximity of each other.
Left of Forever has lots of spice & evokes quite a few emotions that make it a truly well-written novel. Thank you, #NetGalley & #MacMillanAudio! I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book with all thoughts and opinions being my own. If you enjoy romance that'll make you swoon, a roller coaster of emotions, & plenty of passion then you'll enjoy #LeftofForever, by Tarah DeWitt.

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt is a tribute to everlasting love. It may take detours and get lost for a while, but in the end, when it is found again it is stronger and more beautiful. Wren and Ellis take that journey in this follow up to Savor it. Following them on their journey to reunite was hopeful, painful, joyful, and so many other emotions. The Byrds and Spuns Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) will forever have my heart.

Left of Forever was way more emotional than I thought it was going to be. I didn't read the synopsis since I loved the last Tarah book I read, but maybe I should have so I could have been prepared.

📖 Wren and Ellis divorced five years ago after being highschool sweethearts. Their son, Sam, is heading for college and emotions are high as everyone knew they would be. However the surprise, is that Ellis has been working on himself the last five years, and proposed to Wren that they give themselves a week. A week road trip after dropping off their son to see if there is anything left between them.

📝 This was a beautiful story about second chances and finding your heart again. This book brought a lot of emotions, some because being a mom knowing my kids are going to grow up and leave one day. Other emotions were because my parents divorced when I was in highschool. I don't think I was emotionally prepared for all the feelings I would feel. This was not the light and fun read I was expecting, but it was still a great book.

Connor Crais and Megan Wicks did a great job narrating this book. Connor is one of my favorite male narrators!

If you like second chance romances, you’ll love this!

Both characters are so endearing, and you’re rooting for them from the very start. I loved using the letters as a “flashback” to learn about their history too. It was a nice change of pace from books that just jump between flashbacks and present day throughout the whole thing.

I did get a little lost in the timeline at one point, but it was because we were making jumps forward.

Overall, I would recommend this book. Its not at the top of my list compared to the author’s other works, but I think I just didn’t connect with the second chance romance trope as much as I did with the tropes she’s used in her other work.

3.5⭐️
1.5 🌶️

I adore Tarah Dewitt’s books! This was as emotional as you would expect from a second chance romance about a divorced couple. However , it was also pretty funny! There were plenty of light moments to go along with the heavy emotional ones. Definitely would recommend it. I would suggest that you read Savor It first but it’s not necessary to understand the book.

The narrators were fantastic. Excellent audiobook. I definitely would recommend it!

“𝙎𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚... 𝙄’𝙢 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚.”

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 5/20/25

*Thank you @NetGalley and @MacMillan.Audio for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: Wren and Ellis are high school sweethearts that married young after an unexpected pregnancy. After a decade of ups and downs and parenting they drifted apart. Five years later after a chance encounter and a road trip to take their son to college, they discover that they still have love for each other. Can they work through their past problems? Is love enough?

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
🔥Second chance romance
🏕Road trips
🔥Dual POV/Male and Female narrators
🏕Perfect amount of spice 🌶️

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: Guuuurrrrrlllllll, I cannot with this book. I intially wanted to read this book and was given the audiobook, and I could NOT be happier. The narrators were fire, Megan Wicks? This woman gives off Jennifer Lawrence vibes with her voice. Perfection. 🤌🏻
Ok, the story... Im a sucker for PNW settings, especially Oregon (where Im from). 🌲 This is the second in a series based in the fictional town of Spunes, OR. I believe this could be read as a stand alone, or before the first book, Savor It, but for best story- read in order would be helpful as the characters are all intermingled.
With a lot of romance books, the chemistry of the MC's is medicore, in this story I immediately loved the characters and felt their connection. I loved the trying to move on but regretting what went wrong and holding a flame trope. I love second chance romances, and this had not only that, but also forced proximity, one bed, and the chemistry was palpable. Oh, and the tattoos? Sigh. 🥹

Tarah popped off on this one. FIVE STARS!


#LeftofForever

Tarah, rip my heart out why don't you. This book was so heart warming and romantic. I loved getting to go back to Spunes and experience it all again with Ellis and Wren. The dual narration was perfection. With this interconnected stand alone, I feel like we get a new perspective of Spunes and the Byrd family through theiir eyes. I loved getting glimpses of the previous couples also. The Byrds are a tight knit family and I always love seeing a family so close show up for one another in all aspects of life. This book has everything you would want in a romance. It has banter, letter writing, and mutual feelings. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the gifted eARC and ALC. All opinions are my own.

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